"Historic Cemeteries and Gravestones" - Sharing from the Ohio History Connection's - Krista Horrocks

Funds awarded to local cemeteries from the Delaware County Gazette - November 23, 2021

Funds awarded to local cemeteries

Sharing this expanded story by the Delaware Gazette about the cemetery grant program awards this year.  So pleased to read about these much needed funds going to Ohio's Active cemeteries.  As we know, however, sadly left out of the process are Ohio's Inactive Cemeteries which also includes family cemeteries and cemeteries that are deemed abandoned that also need routine care - and many require exceptional care due to years of gross neglect.

The Champaign County W.P.A. Cemetery Plat Maps are on the right sidebar of the blog

The Champaign County W.P.A. Cemetery Plat Maps are now up on the right sidebar of this blog.  The original map pages are at the Champaign County Recorder’s office. 

Champaign County contains 12 townships.:  Adams, Concord, Goshen, Harrison, Jackson, Johnson, Mad River, Rush, Salem, Union, Urbana and Wayne. 

Urbana is the county seat of Champaign County.

 Oak Dale Cemetery is the large cemetery maintained by the City of Urbana.  

Among those listed as famous persons buried at the Oak Dale Cemetery on the website Find A Grave is Simon Kenton.

This series of W.P.A. Cemetery Plat Maps for Champaign County are somewhat different from most other Ohio county cemetery maps because the Title Page for the Project itself and Title Pages for cemeteries with more than one page are missing.  

Thus, I have created a composite Veterans Graves Registration Project Title Page for Champaign County with the Legend of Wars and the Legend for abbreviations used to identify the specifics of veterans' burials on the maps. 

The first 8 pages – numbering one through eight – are missing. Number 8 mostly likely was the Title Page for Evergreen Cemetery in Saint Paris which starts with number 9.

 Also missing are the following numbered pages.:

 11  The title page for Honey Creek Cemetery in Christiansburg, in  Jackson Township.

15  The title page for Maple Grove Cemetery in Rush Township  

      – just outside of the Village of  North Lewisburg.

20  The title page for Mt. Tabor Cemetery in Wayne Township.

24  The title page for Mutual Grace Cemetery in Union Township just west of the community of  Mutual.

27  The title page for Nettle Creek Cemetery in Mad River Township.

31  The title page for Oak Dale Cemetery in Urbana – Urbana Township.

46   The title page for Rosedale Cemetery – Adams Township        

50   The title page for Spring Grove Cemetery – Johnson Township – near Saint Paris

56   The title page for Terre Haute Cemetery – Mad River Township  

60   The title page for Woodstock Cemetery – Woodstock in Rush Township

The above- numbered pages might best be identified as title pages that come before the map pages of a larger cemetery having more than one section.  Such a title page typically contains a brief history of the cemetery and its acreage among other possible information.

Note that some map pages with the veterans names listed also contain a separate Supplementary list of veterans’ names. 

Revolutionary sacrifices and service honored - Pageville, Meigs County, Ohio

Revolutionary sacrifices and service honored

Pvt. Robert Townsend buried at the Pageville Cemetery, Meigs County, Ohio - his Find A Grave Memorial. 

"Renewal for a Delaware County Cemetery" - November 13, 2021 - from the evening newscast by 10TV - WBNS news in Columbus, Ohio - Fairview Memorial Park.

Sharing this video that aired November 13, 2021 during the evening newscast.  

The video is short but it is definitely sweet!  It delivers much needed good news for Fairview Memorial Park in Delaware County, Ohio.  The video is from 10TV news in Columbus - WBNS - reported by Richard Solomon. 

On Monday, November 15, 2021, at 10:00a.m. at Fairview Memorial Park, a check for $13,000 will be presented to the Berlin Township Trustees from the Ohio Department of Real Estate.  These funds are targeted for addressing the massive amount of repairs and other issues needing to be completed at Fairview Memorial Park. 
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There are 1,795 memorials for Fairview Memorial Park on Find A Grave. 

Another auction ends with no bids on Floral Hills Memory Gardens in Walnut Township, Pickaway County, Ohio

Posted on the November 10, 2021 "Dispatch.com" website, with limited number of free views for non-subscribers, is the follow-up story under the "Local" Section by "Columbus Dispatch" reporter, Sheridan Hendrix.  Sheridan has once again covered an auction offering for purchase the Floral Hills Memory Gardens in Pickaway County.  

Sadly, as in prior auctions, there were no bids on this Active Cemetery that has lost its Registration due to the fact that there is no owner to renew it. The Ohio Revised Codes (Chapter 4767) require Active cemeteries to be Registered. 

Thus, Floral Hills Memory Gardens in Pickaway County, Ohio remains as it is unless and until there is a significant change impacting it - hopefully for the better.  

In my opinion, the auction process clearly is one that has not worked well to resolve the fact Floral Hills Memory Gardens has no caretaker / owner overseeing its day-to-day needs.  

Perhaps the law in the State of Ohio considers delinquent out of state "owners" who by last published account owe $111,667.65 in back taxes to the State of Ohio, to still be viable owners of this Active with current burials cemetery.  

Keeping in mind that all five parcels of the cemetery property have been forfeited to the State of Ohio.  Also, keeping in mind that none of the five parcels of land have "Graveyards / Monuments / Cemeteries" Land Use Code of 690 - and why is that the case - I don't know. Four parcels have the Land Use Code of 400 - "Commercial Vacant Land" and one parcel has the Land Use Code of 499 - "Other Commercial Structures". Keeping in mind there are at least 1,250 deceased persons interred at Floral Hills Memory Gardens which is a cemetery as we know. Keeping in mind that a cemetery is sacred grounds. 

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Thanking Sheridan who has conducted outstanding investigative work covering the decade long situation that has left Floral Hills Memory Gardens in Walnut Township, near Circleville, in Pickaway County, Ohio "in limbo" and being maintained only by all-volunteer individuals, groups, and funeral homes in the absence of any caretaker owner.  

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The latest news from the Pickaway County Auditor is that Floral Hills Memory Gardens will again be put up for auction but not until sometime in 2022.  

This blog has been reporting on the situations for both Floral Hills Memory Gardens locations - Pickaway County and Ross County, since April 20, 2013.  Anyone can do a search on this bog for "Floral Hills" and all of the previous blog posts will appear.  That is now over 8 years - another sobering reality to keep in mind.  

"Abandoned Floral Hills Cemetery back up for auction. Loved ones hope buyer can be found." - By Sheridan Hendrix - "The Columbus Dispatch" - November 8, 2021

Thanking Sheridan Hendrix of the "The Columbus Dispatch" for again providing in-depth reporting of the historical events and current conditions that have led up to the upcoming auction tomorrow, November 9, 2021, for ownership of the Floral Hills Memory Gardens in Circleville, Walnut Township, Pickaway County, Ohio. 

 The importance of bringing a greater awareness to the public about the plight of an Active cemetery like Floral Hills Memory Gardens in Circleville simply cannot be stressed enough.  To know that it has been left "in limbo" for almost a decade should both alarm and remind us that such a sad situation could potentially happen to other Ohio cemeteries.

We can see the need for further examination to answer such questions as how does an Active cemetery become stranded without an owner who is properly caring for it occur in the first place?  Why have legal safeguards not been put in place within the Ohio Revised Codes that would prevent such a tragedy from happening?  

Any cemetery can go from one of concern to one in crisis in a relatively short period of time if problems  affecting it persist.  Cemeteries are sacred spaces deserving our respect and ongoing good care. 

So, please take out a few moments of time to read this spotlight story to gain a greater grasp of the specific issues. 

Thanking all of the volunteers who have stepped up to meet the needs of the Floral Hills Memory Gardens in Pickaway County as they live in hope for the future.  May this once vibrant cemetery be granted a change of course for the better to come soon. It deserves nothing less.